ERA-TAC picatinny rail - Mauser K98 (without bulb)

Introduction

Picatinny rail consists of slots with 5.23 mm spaces between one another, which means that it can be used across its entire length. It is simple to mount and interchangeable – if something is made for a Picatinny rail, it will fit regardless of the manufacturer or manufacturing date. It is affordable, resilient and reliable – this is why it so commonly used by professionals and military. Because of all its great qualities, Picatinny rail has been dominating the rail market in the recent years.

Picatinny is a big step forward from the Weaver standard. Weaver has a few predesignated slots while Picatinny has slots all over its surface, allowing the device to be mounted wherever the user finds it fitting. Weaver's slot is 3.8 mm wide, which is why ring mounts made for a Weaver rail will also fit on a Picatinny rail while ring mounts made specifically for a Picatinny rail will not fit on a Weaver rail. This is one of the main reasons why Picatinny is a far better mounting solution.

Recknagel is currently the biggest manufacturer of mounts in Germany. Their Picatinny rails, known for great fit and finish, are mostly made of high-grade aluminum (a few are also made of steel), which is why they are very reliable. Screws are included. Currently, a common trend among rifle manufacturers is making receivers out of aluminum – mounting a Picatinny rail made of aluminum on one of those receivers is thus not problematic. Their products are marketed either under the name Recknagel or Era-Tac.

About the rifle

Mauser is a German arms manufacturer of semi-automatic pistols and bolt-action rifles. It was originally founded as Königliche Waffen Schmieden in 1811. Their designs reached high popularity and their products were exported to a number of countries. Because of their success, many other manufacturers used a similar design.

Mauser K98 is the most often produced repeating rifle in the World (approx. 60 million pieces have been made). Its name is linked to the year when it was introduced to the public – 1898. This was a standard firearm in World Wars I and II. Today, it is used mostly for hunting purposes. Many firearm manufacturers copied K98's system because of its success. This is, without doubt, one of the most copied systems in existence (it is used by renowned manufacturers such as Zastava, CZ, Husqvarna, Antonio Zoli etc.). Newer K98 models are made without a bulb (the older Mauser K98 models were loaded with the help of a stripper clip, which is why they had a bulb on the receiver – if you are looking for a mount for a model with bulb, click here). The newer models no longer require a bulb to be loaded. Consequently, the mounting surface is bigger.

Because so many K98 rifles were made, gunsmiths had difficulties in maintaining the same pattern when it came to drilling holes onto the receiver. Because of these different patterns, Picatinny rail manufacturers are making K98 Picatinny rails in many variations. EAW and Rusan's Picatinny rails for Mauser K98 are, for example, without holes – these have to be drilled by a gunsmith. Recknagel has a different way of manufacturing Picatinny rails for K98 – theirs have 3 holes (2 on the front part are ordinary while the back one is in the form of an ellipse, allowing the user to fix the back part of the rail regardless of the positions of holes on the receiver).

A: 22 mm
B: 102.4 mm
C: 0–13.2 mm
BHU: 4 mm
Fi: M3.5; 6-48 (both are included)
R1: R18
R2: R14/30°

Below, the difference between older and newer Mauser K98 models can be seen:

Mounting instructions

Remove all the stains (grease, oil etc.) from the rifle's receiver with a cleaning fluid (acetone). Once the surface is clean and dry, check whether the screws match the rail and the holes on the receiver. Make sure that the Picatinny rail is compatible with the rifle by inspecting the mounting holes on both. Before mounting the rail permanently, apply a minimal amount of thread-locking fluid 278 or 648 on screws and contact surfaces. Be careful not to get the fluid in or near the mounting holes. Carefully clean the remaining excess fluid around the rail with a cleaning fluid. Using a torque driver, screw the screws appropriately (up to 2.2 Nm) – do not overtighten.

Warranty

The product has a warranty period of 10 years.